This invention relates to steam cooking devices, and particularly to arrangements for maintaining the water in the boiler of such devices at a desired level by operation of a float assembly.
The advantages of steaming certain foods rather than cooking these foods by other methods have become well-recognized in recent years. For example, when meats are cooked under dry conditions, as when baked, the meat loses its intrinsic moisture and may become dried out and unpalatable. Further, vegetables contain certain valuable minerals which are retained if the vegetables are steamed rather than cooked by other means, such as boiling.
Current steam cooking devices utilize steam from a steam generator to cook or thaw food. This steam is transported from the steam generator to a cooking chamber where it is introduced into the cooking chamber by a conduit or the like extending from the boiler to an opening in the wall of the cooking chamber.
The steam is produced by heating water which is contained in the steam generator or boiler. Many of these steam generators contain float assemblies to maintain a desired water level in the steam generator. In most instances, when the water level drops to a predetermined measured level after some of the water has been heated to produce steam, the float assembly activates to allow more water to enter the steam generator.
A problem with the operation of the float assemblies occurs due to the fact that the water in the steam generator contains minerals which form deposits on these float assemblies causing them to stick. There is currently no method of cleaning the floats except manually removing them and cleaning them by hand.